Now that Doona has crashed into our hearts, we want more of this story to see how Won Jun and Doona build their relationship even though there is no news of its renewal for a second season yet. The fact is that in season 1, we only saw how they realized their love for each other. But for two people with such contrasting personalities, living that love is an entirely different ballgame altogether. It means the ability to have tough conversations, make visible and invisible changes, and commit to the work it takes each day to be able to be in each other’s lives.
Spoiler Alert
At the end of the first season, we saw Doona say that she had reached a better place mentally and was much more settled in life. As for Won Jun, he was also just getting started after working on his family and his life. It is an age-old concept that opposites attract each other, but the reality is that it is just the first step.
Throughout the season, it was Doona who often made the rash decisions that jeopardized her relationship with Won Jun. But she was also the one who made the effort to be more vulnerable with him. Right from the beginning, even when they were not dating, Doona had been very transparent with him. We notice it first when she tells him about her abandonment issues and asks him to never ignore her calls in the future. While Won Jun seems to be the softer person of the two, he is a lot more defensive as compared to Doona. Also, he doesn’t seem to have a correct estimate of Doona’s ability to handle her own business. When she leaves with In Wook, Won Jun says some pretty mean things to her before accepting her apology and telling her that he loves her. Next, when he understands that In Wook has been visiting her, instead of talking to Doona about it, he directly goes to have a conversation with In Wook about leaving her alone. It is one thing to be mindful of your partner’s fragile mental state and their ability to fight for themselves. But it is completely another thing to step over them and take up the fight on their behalf.
We believe that Doona and Won Jun are still dating at the end of season 1. But they would still need to learn how to manage their relationship. Doona doesn’t have feelings for In Wook anymore, but he is still in her life. We have no idea how Won Jun would feel about that, especially since he has exhibited a jealous streak as part of his character. Doona has gotten her phone back and enjoys a lot more freedom, but a huge part of her life is still controlled by her work and her agency. What would they think about Doona having a boyfriend who is not a celebrity? Talking about dating within celebrities, we saw that Doona had a huge fanbase but a terrible reputation in the industry. What if there is a need to fix that because of some older scandal or a misunderstanding? Maybe some rumors about Doona will be manufactured to raise some publicity, or she may have to pretend to be in a relationship with someone else for some twisted reason. Throughout this time, Won Jun may not like being a helpless watcher on the sidelines. He had only ever wanted a normal life, and that was one of the reasons that he had broken up with Doona: because that was an impossibility with the kind of person she was. They had gotten back together because he could never love anyone else, but is love enough to conquer all the hurdles, especially when trust is a big issue? Doona has constantly said in season 1 that Won Jun is not a brave person. Would he learn to be brave in Doona season 2, to fight for his love and be patient with her life?
Coming to Doona herself, she has gained enough stardom that a lot of problems have been solved. But the same cannot be said about her mother. She may make a reappearance in Doona’s life and want her money. Or she could stir up some trouble, and it will fall on Doona to clean that up, ultimately affecting her and Won Jun’s relationship. The thing with mental health issues is that they don’t just disappear. Treating them is simply learning to manage them on more days than less. Doona may have said that she doesn’t have anxiety and abandonment issues anymore, but what she means is that she has learned that she doesn’t need to control her life. She still has to remind herself of that every day, especially when the voices are stronger sometimes. Won Jun’s fears, her manager’s manipulation, and her own mother’s callousness won’t make it easy for her. We have also been wondering what could happen if Doona’s father came back into her life. How would that add to this entire mix?
Coming to the other characters, I Ra is pretty happy with her perfect ‘opposites attract’ boyfriend. We want them to remain the perfect couple in the background and to provide the template for fun couples in the show. But we also want Jin Ju to have a happy ending. She has gone through a lot alone, and she has undoubtedly developed into a person who can take care of herself and is capable of living a full life by herself. If she gets into a relationship, it won’t be because she needs someone by her side, but because that person makes her happier than she currently is. We want to see the kind of person Jin Ju ends up with.
Lastly, there is In Wook himself. There is no point in lying, so we will admit that there is something very intriguing about his character. He lived for his career, and he did not care about anyone or anything that stood in his way. When President Ma sent the legal notice to Doona, In Wook said that had he been in her place, he would have done something more severe. We want to know what makes a manager so ruthless and uncaring. He was ready to manipulate Doona as much as required just so that she would perform. Was it all just a question of being a ‘manager’, or was there something else there? Additionally, we must remember that grooming her was a huge part of how he controlled her. What does he feel about not being able to manipulate her, according to him, at this point, when she is at the height of her fame and is of most value to him and the agency? How would Won Jun figure in this entire thing? If there is season 2, we would like to know more about this character.
Doona is one of those rare dramas where we absolutely demand a season 2. We are not just writing it off as a good idea but would actually like to know what would happen, as this story is certainly not complete and has only given the illusion of being so. Hopefully, the makers will listen and oblige.
